Give Us Your Hands if We Be Friends
by TheWitchFromNextDoor
Summary: When the Penderwicks are shipped off to a three month acting camp, each sister has their problems. Can Skye keep up her tough girl facade and not reveal her deepest secret? Does Jane get a bit TOO much into her part? Can Rosalind survive her mountainous cooking duties? Can Batty understand about "flies"? And does Jeffery reveal a secret love of Shakespeare (and someone else?)
1. Two Hawks Catch Their Prey

"Skye!" A voice shattered the serene calm. "Where are you?" Skye ignored him, not even deigning to focus her binoculars on his face. She was perched in a tree, watching a hawk circle, hunting for it's prey. "Seriously Skye. You have to be around here SOMEWHERE. And why are you up at six in the mor- yawn - ing?" Skye kept studying the hawk. "Family meeting!" Of course. Jeffery was calling. Did her peace have to be ruined EVERY time she went in the tree? She was determined to see the hawk hunt. Yesterday she spotted it hunting, but had to leave to chase Jeffery (for touching her math notebooks!). Anyway, it was glorious when it hunted. As if listening to her thoughts, it dove for it's food, probably a rabbit. "It's about summer vacation! Annnnnd… where we're going to live for ten weeks!" Jeffrey called enticingly. Wham! The hawk snatched up it's prey and flew up in a victory soar. At the same time Skye _thump_ed to the ground and Jeffrey indulged in a smile that clearly said. _I knew I could get you down. And I SO knew you were in that tree._

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up Tifton." Jeffrey slapped his chest and gave a fake _my heart is being torn out of my chest; how could you do that to me? _"You seem awfully chipper," Skye remarked.

"Come on, Penderwick. Rosalind's telling the news. Your father is at work today, and I don't think he wanted to be here for this MOPS."

"Why?" Skye asked, slinging her binoculars around her neck and starting towards the house.

"Well, he said _Oro te ne læderent nuntius._." Jeffrey replied, pronouncing each word carefully.

"Either that's Latin, or you need some grammar lessons. And you probably butchered the pronunciation if it's Latin." Skye quipped. Jeffrey stuck out his tongue. Maturely, of course. "It loosely translates to _Don't kill the messenger._" Jeffrey said. "So you might want to make sure to keep your temper and not do anything you regret. Or, as the awesome Mr. Penderwick says, _Quidquid agas prudenter agas et respice finem._" (Look before you leap and don't do anything crazy.) Skye punched him in the arm, and ran ahead. This wasn't good. She might need to break out Arnold. Arnold was her anger-managment toy. She bought him in a fit of deep repentance when she had yelled at Dopey Disgusting Dexter. (She wasn't sorry about that AT ALL. She just felt guilty for yelling at Batty as well when her emotions were still high.) Arnold was a small, adorable stuffed-animal manatee. He had a little chain around his flipper with amblygonite, a gem said to induce peace and well-being. Skye was doubtful he would work, but decided to try it. Well, a little more than doubtful. Arnold was just really cute. (She'd never admit it, but Arnold ended up being a nice friend when working on algebra, and she'd die if anyone found out, especially Jeffrey.) Jogging to the house she ran straight to Rosalind's room, and there she plunked herself down on the bed next to Jane. Jane had her pencil poised over her blue notebook and seemed ready to take notes. Rosalind was looking out the window, obviously worried.

"What's the wrong?" Skye asked. First the "don't kill the messenger" note, now a worried Rosalind. What was wrong? When Rosalind heard Skye speak, her head whipped around so fast Skye feared for her neck.

"Where's Batty?" Rosalind asked nervously, ignoring . Skye zoned out for a minute.

_Batty is to Rosalind as Arnold is to me._

_Rosalind is to Batty as… as… Wait a minute. Does Jeffrey have a comforting stuffed animal or anything Awesome blackmail material… _Shaking her head,Skye took off her backpack casually and rummaged in it while keeping an eye on the others. She carefully drew out Arnold, and held him behind her back while pretending to lean backwards. No one noticed. Rosalind had successfully grabbed Batty and sat with her on Rosalind's magnolia-patterned bedspread, and Skye had Arnold safely hidden and tucked next to her hidden underneath the folded white quilt. The magnolias reminded Skye of Mommy. Her favorite flower.

"So what's this horrible news?" Skye asked, fingering the amblygonite and trying to sound upbeat so she wouldn't cry. Oh, Mommy! Rosalind cleared her throat.

"It's not horrible news. It's not even bad. Mommy would be proud." Skye sat up straighter, the amblygonite painfully digging into her flesh.

"Mommy?" Skye asked, the word tearing her throat. Rosalind nodded and smoothed her bedspread. "Yes. Mother loved mumble." The last word was so quiet no one understood it. Jane peered up through her glasses.

"Rosalind? Sorry, didn't catch the last word." Rosalind sighed and watched Skye carefully.

"Skye? Please don't kill me. Daddy's sending us to summer camp in the mountains for three months." Skye exhaled with relief.

"Geez, Rosalind. Way to scare someone!" Skye imagined long days of watching hawks, identifying trees and getting a jump start on next year's math assignments and long nights of staring at stars. Without the city lights she might be able to pick out Cassiopeia! Gosh that queen was an idiot. Never offend a god or goddess. So touchy! Skye scorned the ancient myths, but Jane dissected them avidly, searching for characters that could assist Sabrina Star in her myriad of adventures. Rosalind cleared her throat again and spoke.

"Skye? It's not a nature camp." _Well, then what is it?! _Skye thought, exasperated.

"I know that you don't like anything artsy-"

"Wait, who said I didn't? I made a stained glass tulip last year!"

"Skye, you spilled lead on your shoulder- how on earth did you even do that?- and had to be rushed to the hospital." Skye winced, and involuntarily traced the amoeba-shaped scar left from the experience. Jeffery started.

"Skye, you never told me about that!" He complained.

"Um… why should I?" She asked.

"I'm your best friend. I should know when you spill burning hot liquid on yourself!"

"Guys," Rosalind cut in. "Please." Jeffrey fumed.

"Honestly, Rosalind." Skye said, raising her eyebrows. "What are you so scared about?" Rosalind sighed, and bit her lip.

"It isn't BAD, necessarily." Rosalind repeated.

"Rosalind." Skye shook her shoulders. "Spit it out."

"Fine. Don't you dare be mad at me after hounding me so much." Rosalind said.

"ROSALIND. Stop prolonging to the drama. Is he sending us to a child-labor factory? Or banishing us to live in a treehouse for a month?"

"Skye, you don't understand."

"You're darn right I don't understand. Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because he sending us to an acting camp!" Rosalind cried, frustrated. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth.

"WHAT?!" Skye shrieked.


	2. Packing, Pancakes, and Geniuses

"An ACTING camp?" Skye wailed. "No! I CAN'T act! Remember me being Rainbow? Or was I Grass Flower…"

"You were RAINBOW." Jane butted in, eyes sparkling. "Or I was Rainbow, at least. And Rosy! Wonderful! My talent will shine once again! Oh…"

"Whatever. Rosy, I fainted. I was so freaking' terrified, I FAINTED before I went on. Please please PLEASE don't make me do this! I can stay with… um… Tommy!"

"Oh, Skye. I'm so, so sorry. But Daddy and Iantha are going on a business trip, and since Tommy's mom is going for her Master's degree, she's going with his. And you know about his dad… leaving." Rosalind sighed. Skye started pacing, and Batty added something to the conversation for the first time since she came into Rosalind's room.

"Rosalind, I think It's wonderful. But why an acting camp? Why not a nature camp like Skye would prefer?" Skye saw a glimmer of hope in Batty's words, which were much too wise for an eight year old.

"Yes, why not a nice stargazing camp? Or something like that?" She begged. Rosalind shot the hope down by grimacing.

"You see, the thing is… it was the only camp that would take us on such short notice. He tried desperately to find anything else. Even Anna is in Bermuda, and every other sleepaway camp is in full swing. And the school is sponsoring it, so he knows it's safe." Rosalind explained. Skye stopped pacing and leaned on the bed, duly terrified, only the words _short notice_ registering.

"Rosalind Madilynn Penderwick." Skye enunciated, her voice shaking nevertheless. "Just when does this camp start?" Rosalind closed her eyes.

"Friday. Since it's school sponsored, we take one of those nice charter busses, so no flights, at least." She whispered, barely letting the words slip from her lips.

"What? That's tomorrow!" cried Skye. Rosalind nodded grimly.

"Which is why we better start packing."

Batty could pack herself, she argued, after all wasn't she eight? She was just as capable of packing as anyone. Still an avid collector of stuffed animals, she dropped Funty into her carry-on backpack, and after a bit of debate, slipped Ursula in there too. What if Funty got homesick? Or lonely? Batty also decided to bring her favorite books, introduced by Jane. Batty was working on _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_ series, and was currently on _The Magician's Nephew_. Batty inserted the rest of the series into her carry on, and also added some origami paper to her bulging bag. In her suitcase she folded jeans, shorts, and her favorite t-shirts. Obviously coming with her were her muppet t-shirts, (one with Kermit, another with all the muppets with their signatures underneath), and her favorite sweater, the sunshine yellow one lined with fleece and that had a hood. Also going in was a dress for fancy occasions. When Batty decided she had packed enough, she lay on her bed, dreaming.

Rosalind packed her suitcase carefully, just like she always did. She folded in enough shirts and jeans to keep her going, but also folded in some pretty skirts she had just bought. Her packing was finished quickly.

Skye was completely mathematical. She measured a standard t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Then she calculated the volume of her suitcase. She figured she could fit ten shirts and seven pairs of pants. That left room for the unorthodox. In went Arnold and, of course, her telescope. In her duffel for the bus, she carefully stacked three space books. Since charter busses have TVs, she figured that was enough.

Jeffery had just arrived two days ago after multiple phone meetings with Mrs. T-D to let him come on vacation with them. Therefore, he had all of his stuff and simply needed to refold some of it.

Jane was anything BUT mathematical. Deciding all she'd need for her entertainment was her laptop for writing, she threw six flowing dresses she had bought at a street fair, some sandals with teeny tiny mirrors sewn on them, and multiple flowery headbands in her suitcase. Cramming in some shirts and jeans, and managing to get the zipper shut, she surveyed the bulging bag with satisfaction.

Then she realized she had forgotten her jacket.

"My darling daughters," Mr. Penderwick said, after all of them had finished packing. "Iantha and I will miss you SO MUCH. We promise to email every day. Don't worry, and have a great time. Set your alarms for five in the morning tomorrow; the bus leaves at seven and we want PLENTY of time." Skye didn't even look at her father. She rushed upstairs. Rosalind knew Skye seemed like she was being dramatic, but Skye really was terrified. Ever since she had almost had to star as Rainbow, Skye would only be convinced to go on a stage if she was getting an award for math or science. How would she get through this?

_Gooooooooood mornin', good mornin', it's great to stay up late, good mornin', good mornin' to youuuuu._

Jane bounced up as the cheerful voice of the actress permeated her sleep. Jane glanced at the clock. Goodness, five in the morning? Well, she might as well get up. _The sky's awake, so I'm awake._ Jane thought wryly.

_Bonjour! _The song continued, and Skye burst into the room, her eyes smudged with grey.

"Please. Shut. That. Thing. Off." Skye ordered icily.

"Bonjour?" Jane offered weakly, pressing a button that silenced her alarm. Skye nodded sharply, and trudged out of the room. Jane leaped out of her room and into her rolly chair. She scrolled over to her wood desk where her laptop was charging. Flipping open the lid, Jane glimpsed the how well charged the meter was. It was green.

"Oh, what a hopeful sight a full battery can be." mused Jane. Closing her laptop, she slipped out her door. Spiriting a bowl of cornflakes to her room, she began to type the intro to her seventh Sabrina Starr book.

"It will be magnificent! A true reflection of what I am worth…" She murmured dramatically.

After telling Jane to shut off her relentlessly happy alarm, Skye snatched a cereal bar and climbed her favorite tree. Leaning against the smooth, cool bark, she thought about Mommy. How she would be proud if Skye managed to get a good part in this play. Skye's eyes closed, and one tear slipped through. Mommy would want her to be in this play. Especially since it was one of her favorites.

_"A Midsummer Night's Dream," _Rosalind had told her. _"Mommy loved it."_

_ "Why?" Skye had asked._

_ "She said that what goes around comes around. It's a whole love quadrangle."_

_ "Well…" Skye had hesitated._

"Hmmm…" Skye sighed, and peered at the hunting hawk with her binoculars.

Meanwhile, Rosalind had whipped up an ambrosial batch of made from scratch pancakes. Cutting her first pancake into triangle shaped pieces, she smacked Jeffery, who was cramming them into his mouth like he had never eaten one before.

"Soowy Way." he mumbled around a mouthful of pancake, and began cutting up the other three he had heaped onto his plate. He tipped the jug of syrup over the pancakes and licked his fingers when he snapped shut the lid. Just then, Batty waltzed in and snagged a pancake. Rolling it into a stick and swabbing up some syrup from Rosalind's tiny dish (Rosalind liked to dip her pieces), she swiftly swallowed it down. Rosalind looked at the remaining stack and frowned. Stacking two well-syruped pancakes on one plate and three on the other, she walked outside. Noticing a foot sticking down from a tree, she quickly stepped up to it and tapped the leg.

"What?" A surly voice asked.

"Skye? It's me."

"What do you want?"

"Are you hungry?"

Skye peered down.

"Well… I guess I could eat."

Rosalind held up the pancakes, and Skye reached for them greedily. She devoured the first in under ten seconds and swallowed the second without even breathing. Rosalind left her to her task.

Five minutes later, with her remaining plate, she tiptoed upstairs. She only heard clacking noises when she tapped Jane's door with her foot, so she pushed open the closed door to see a totally engrossed Jane. Noticing the empty bowl next to her laptop, Rosalind quietly slid the plate of two pancakes on a nearby surface- just in case- and padded away. She wouldn't want to disrupt a genius at work.


	3. Eating Means and TV Screens

**Quick AN-**

**First of all, I would like to thank PUCKABRINALOVER for her wonderful review. I appreciate all reviews, and am thankful that this story already has a review after a single night!**

**Also, I would like to note that this story takes place THREE YEARS IN THE FUTURE AFTER THE PENDERWICKS AT POINT MOUETTE.**

**Thanks!**

Rosalind wandered down the stairs absentmindedly. Reaching for her purse, she carefully tucked her ticket for the bus into the side pocket. Mentally steeling herself for the somewhat difficult task ahead, she had prepared a list of three rules for her family, because Daddy couldn't do it. Daddy had seen them off the night before, apologizing profusely.

"_I'm so sorry, but my plane leaves at eleven tonight." _He had stammered.

"_I understand." _Rosalind had said. But for one moment, she had hated her

dad. Poor, understanding Daddy that had raised them when Mommy died. Hated him for his weak attempt at a goodbye. Hated him for forcing Skye to go to a camp to do an activity that scared her. Skye: The girl who had attacked a boy TWO YEARS OLDER than her who had dangled Asimov out the window after abducting him.

"_What. The. **** do you think you are doing?" Skye asked._

"_Shut up, runt. Or we'll see if this cat can really land on it's feet every time."_

_Skye pulled him back from the window, and pushed Asimov out the door. The she had leaped on him._

_ "You HORRIBLE EVIL PIG!" Skye had screamed, punching him and kicking him._

_ "Please…" The boy had begged. He was one of the bullies who was really just a coward. _

Skye had ended there. Rosalind didn't want to think of the rest. But, Skye: The girl who would climb her favorite tree in the middle of a thunderous rainstorm. Skye: The girl who dared to scramble up the highest wall or the steepest mountain. But also Skye: The girl who would die before getting on another stage without the incentive of math or science. Rosalind steeled herself for the task of getting Skye on the bus.

"_Sweat dripping from her every pore, Sabrina Starr prevailed!' _Jane was lost, feverishly finishing the intro. "_But, sadly, not for long. For something dark came into her life to finish her victory for forever… or so it thought." _Jane leaned back in her chair, and glanced at the clock. Holy bananas! Six 'o'clock already! Jane pulled on her traveling clothes, a pair of beaten jeans and a purple t-shirt, on, and pulled a hair brush through her tangled dark curls. Slipping a headband over her somewhat-tamed hair, she reached for her newly found favorite perfume- Unspoken Beauty, and spritzed some in the air. Running through it, she dashed downstairs, only stopping to backtrack and shove a pancake into her mouth. Leaving the other on the floor for Hound, she sprinted into the kitchen, where a very disgruntled Skye had been dragged in not five seconds ago, dressed in faded jeans and a long green shirt by Rosalind. Batty was in her sweatpants and sweatshirt, and Rosalind looked put-together in her pretty floral skirt and light blue shirt.

"MOPS come to order." Rosalind reached for a mallet Daddy used for fish recipes and tapped it on the table.

"Second it."

"Third it."

"Fourth it."

"-"

"If you fifth it for Hound I will drop kick you out the window."

"Order!" Rosalind scolded. "Skye, apologize!"

"Sorry, Batty. I'm just mad at… I don't know." Skye said sadly.

"Good." Rosalind smiled approvingly at Skye. "Now, just like in Maine, I have some rules for us. Number one is be polite to EVERYONE. Now, I don't know anything, so don't press me for information. but I have a sneaking suspicion that since the camp is school sponsored, people we know will be there. Please DON'T aggravate them. We don't want to be holed up with people who hate us for three months!"

"True." Jane agreed.

"Second, don't skip out of classes." Rosalind pressed on. Skye grumbled.

"Third, PLEASE don't pretend to be bad on purpose. We-"

Rosalind was cut off by the noise of a bus.

"Everyone have their luggage?" Rosalind panicked, switching gears. She glanced at everyone's color-coded luggage. Jane- purple. Skye- blue. Batty- red. And, of course, Rosalind herself, in green.

"Go, go, go!" She cried. Every rushed outside and saw a pretty bus. Which is not how regular busses are, but this one? Clean white with red detailing. Pushing everyone into the bus, Rosalind stopped short at what the tinted windows had hidden. Everyone had their own private space with a BED.

"Holy binoculars." Skye gasped.

"Holy bananas." Jane swooned.

"Wow." Batty's eyes widened.

"Sanctum vaccam." Rosalind breathed.

The bus was REALLY REALLY NICE. Rosalind stared at the snack cart, filled with hot chocolate and fancy snacks, like dark-chocolate-covered pear slices. Jane peered behind one of about ten thick velvet curtains, and saw that there was a wall at the front and back of the little curtained space. On the left was the side of the bus, giving the room a cosy nookish air, and Jane saw with delight that you could adjust the high of your OWN BED so you could see your own private TV. Built into the wall was a mini-fridge, filled with frosty bottles of soda and juice, and a little shelf supplied a little lamp that you could click off when you were tired. Batty was delighted that she would have her own little sheltered space, and could pretend she was a hibernating bear. But Skye saw none of these delights. She was looking around for more people when a head popped out of a nearby bunk.

"More people? You better not be loud. I had to tell someone else to shut up when they started yelling about football drills. Skye saw red, and barely heard her own voice although she was plenty loud.

"MELISSA PATENAUDE?!"


	4. The Ben & Jerry's Really Helps

"Skye?" Melissa asked, almost equally horrified. Skye didn't allow another word to reach Melissa, but climbed a ladder to one of the top beds. Diving inside the curtain, she noticed that the only difference was that it had no top, so she was only enclosed in three walls and a curtain. Sort of like she was in a box. Skye imagined shutting Melissa in a nice little box that you could tie shut. Liking this image so much, she went back and made the box pitch black and also unbreakable. Then she mentally bolted it to the floor.

Then left the room.

And locked the door.

And left the house.

And locked the door.

And fled to China.

And locked herself in a nice little pagoda with nice little sharks in her nice little moat- oops, sorry she meant fishpond.

Jane, meanwhile, was the only family member that noticed Skye turning into a squirrel, scrambling up that ladder so fast and looking so violently at the wall, Jane expected it to combust. Jane, though, knew that the only way for Skye to calm down was to shut herself up like a recluse for an hour or so.

"Wait a second," Jane mumbled to herself, "How long is this trip anyway?" Rosalind, overhearing her, thought a moment.

"I only know that this camp's in the Great Smoky's. They say the views are best there." Rosalind remarked. Jane slipped into another top bunk, just ahead of Skye's, and felt pleasantly protected in the (technically!) four walls. Reaching to her side for the refrigerator, her fingertips met only cool glass. What luck! A window! Jane quickly rolled over and stared out the window, wanting one last glimpse of her house all sad and shut up tight. No one would be returning for months.

"EVERYONE HAS BEEN PICKED UP," One of those unnecessarily loud train voices burst from the speakers. "PLEASE PICK A BUNK NOW. WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR BUNK, PLEASE PRESS THE GREEN BUTTON ABOVE YOUR HEAD FOR SAFETY REASONS." Jane rolled onto her stomach and reached for a button high above her head. Before she pressed the button, though, she noticed a compartment up above her head. Unclasping the hinge, she saw that it contained extra pillows for those who didn't think the raised bed was enough.

Great. Awesome, even. Examining one closer, she noticed it was one of those high-tech ones from the sleep store.

"FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT PRESSED THE BUTTON, WE ARE STARTING OUR TRIP." Jane quickly punched the button, and a little raised wall rose from the curtain side, just to make sure she wouldn't fall off. Reaching for the refrigerator next to the window, she was yanked forward, and realized the bus had begun to move. Snatching the handle, she pulled it open, and retrieved some cold, wrapped chocolates. Grabbing a frosty bottle of strawberry soda, she sighed and leaned back. Carefully putting down her food, she pulled a lever, and raised her bed up so she was sitting. Noticing a little sliver of wood built into the partial wall she had just raised, she pulled on it, and a nice little tray with a cup holder came out. Resting the chocolates on the tray, (which had a lip on each side to keep things from sliding off,) and dropping the soda into the cup holder, she reached forward for the remote, which was on a little shelf above the TV. Pressing the power button, she flicked around for a while, finally deciding on the movie version of Ella Enchanted. Slipping on the headphones, she leaned back into her raised bed, unwrapped a piece of chocolate, and sighed contentedly.

Batty, meanwhile, was happily munching on a granola bar Rosalind had given her. Rosalind had told her she had to take a bottom bunk, because they were safer. Flipping open _The Magician's Nephew_, she reached the part where the witch had taken her first bite of Youth Apple. Batty was happy, even though Rosalind was separated by a wall, mainly because Rosalind had let her turn on the music channel on the TV and Batty could customize her music by using a remote to click letters on the keyboard on the TV. Batty took another bite of her granola bar, and chewed thoughtfully.

Rosalind was surprisingly happy. She never really got much SPACE anymore, being her sister's mother. She loved it, of course! But still. Wait a second, how long would this last? Hopefully not too long, seeing as she already missed Batty who was just across the aisle. If only she had a computer…

_Jane_. Rosalind automatically thought. Clambering over the half-wall keeping her from falling out, she quickly climbed the still-warm ladder to Jane's bunk. Peeking over the top of the curtain, she saw Jane zoned out, watching Ella almost kill Char with a dagger.

"Can I borrow your laptop?" Rosalind asked. Jane scooched over and patted the seat next to her, pausing the movie.

"I don't want you to have to carry that down a ladder." Rosalind cocked an eyebrow. "My breakable, three hundred dollar computer." Jane said, and re-started the movie. Rosalind shrugged, and typed in Jane's hilariously predictable password- _SabrinaStarr_. Clicking open a web-page, Rosalind typed in, _How far is it from Massachusetts to the Great Smoky Mountain_s?

Up popped a little bubble that said, _13 hrs 44 minutes_. Jane, peeking over her shoulder, cheered. "Awesome. Movies, here I come!" and watched as Ella got dragged into prison. Rosalind swung herself down from the bunk, and retreated back to her bunk. Clicking her Android, she selected her _Favorites_ list and put it on shuffle. She leaned back, and closed her eyes.

Skye was gradually calming down; the knowledge of being able to hide away fourteen hours registering in her brain after Jane, (who was apparently right behind her) dropped a piece of paper on her head telling her.

The stash of chocolate chip cookie dough Ben & Jerry's ice cream in her mini fridge helped as well.

Skye busied herself in her geometry notebook, thinking that this was the life. Hearing the squeak of wheels below, she hung her head out from her bunk. A nice-looking lady was pushing the snack cart down the aisle. The lady looked up at Skye and smiled.

"Everything satisfactory, dear?" Without waiting for an answer, she pressed a bag of chocolate covered pear slices into Skye's hand, and walked on. Skye swung herself back up, and tasted one. Mmmm. Pulling Arnold out, she held him tight while she worked on her next algebraic problem.


	5. Embroidered, Trees, Marble, Lovliest

**Quick AN- What Jane does to solve her writing dilemma is actually not fake words. I swear on Bob that they were the first words I took out of the books she says. I was seriously gosh dang lucky with the words I got! Anyway, I think it'll be cool.**

Jane had finished the movie, and was starting to get bored. The bus had started at 7:00 and it was only 11:32 by her frequently checked watch. There was only so much to do on a bus, even a freakily high-tech one, and she had sworn to herself not to use her laptop until it was 1:00. She was proud of this restraint, which had good reasoning behind it. She couldn't use up her ace in the hole for entertainment too quickly.

"A girl of my imagination shouldn't get bored," Jane scolded herself quietly. "After all, the human brain is a wondrous thing. I can create a little fairy that talks to me, and I will name her… no, that's boring." She sighed. "OK, fine. I'm bored. Maybe another movie?" Picking up her remote, she let it fall and shrieked as a tray shot out right above her head. She was not the only one, and many other people burst out things that really should not be repeated.

"YOU PROBABLY NOTICED THE TRAYS THAT POPPED OUT ABOVE YOUR HEAD," The train voice boomed, rather needlessly, Jane thought. "PLEASE CIRCLE THE FOOD YOU WOULD LIKE, PLACE IT BACK INTO THE TRAY, AND GIVE THE TRAY A GENTLE PUSH." Jane grinned and took down the menu with a sparkly little pen clipped to it, forgetting about her near decapitation. She circled a Shirley Temple without debate, since she rarely got them because daddy's favorite restaurant was not what you would call Shirley Temple material. Studying the choices, she finally found her favorite fish, salmon. Glancing at the small details below, it apparently came with mashed potatoes, french fries, and all meals came with a dessert. Flipping to the dessert page, she bit her lip at all the mouthwatering choices, and finally decided on a vanilla hot fudge sundae (requesting a small bowl of Maraschino cherries on the side.)

Skye closed her eyes and pointed to a random spot on a random page. Chicken and dumplings with a side of buttered corn and two biscuits. Sublime! Glancing at all the desserts, she, once again, stabbed blindly and landed on a double-decker brownie.

Batty loved the sparkly yellow pen that came with her menu, and was pleasantly surprised when Rosalind popped her head in and told her to pick whatever she wanted. She laughed to herself and chose a hamburger with mustard and a vanilla cupcake.

Rosalind decided to indulge in peach pastry and Mahi-Mahi.

Jane drew everything out until 12:00, and decided to break her rule. Unflipping her laptop, she tapped her finger against her cheek, for her own dramatic benefit.

"I want to be…" Jane mused aloud. A few adjectives ran through her head.

_Loose. Structured. Bold. Tense. Loose. Loose._ Jane's brain got stuck on loose. She stared at her white, glowing laptop screen, wracking her brain for something interesting to write about. Nothing. She moved forward, and rested her chin on her hands. Hmmm. Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, she clicked open another tab and typed in _realistic fiction story prompt_. Lots of pages came up, and she positioned her mouse on a Yahoo! page. _Why not?_ she wondered, and opened the page.

_OMGGGG! i have a giant riting project due 2morrow 4 school and i…_

"Oh, gooseberries." She wondered aloud. "What is this world coming to?" _Loose. Loose_. She grabbed her nearest book, _Dragon Slippers, _and flipped open to a random page. She stabbed a random word and typed it into the computer. Snatching three other books, she repeated the action and allowed herself to look at the words.

_Embroidered_

_Trees_

_Marble_

_Loveliest_

_Once upon a time lived a beautiful girl, the __loveliest__ ever known. The tales she told, of __trees __and sunlight, were __embroidered__ like tapestries of beautiful words. Her tales were known far and wide, and she soon grew so famous she was able to live in a __marble__ palace filled with everything one could wish for. Yet her heart was as hard as the home she lived in._

_Until Sabrina Starr came along._

Jane frowned, and wasn't particularly pleased, but it was an OK beginning. She began writing feverishly, staring so hard at the screen her eyes began to burn. And couldn't she rest? For just a… just a minute…

_**TWEET!**_ Jane awoke in a frenzy of tangled sheets to a loud whistle, and an enormous mess. Looking frantically around, she saw her writing materials and Rosalind's head calmly peeking over the partition. Staring at the messed up bed, she shook her head.

"Jane, why didn't you clean up when the message came over the loudspeaker?" Rosalind scolded mildly.

"What…?" Jane asked, disoriented. Glancing at her watch out of habit she jumped back, and hit her head. Ten o'clock at night! She frantically swept her books in her bag, and shut her laptop, whose battery was blinking red pathetically.

"Poor sweetie…" Jane crooned. She had entered over twenty writing contests to win enough prize money to buy her laptop, which was much nicer than what most adults had. She treasured it so much, she felt guilty letting the battery down to 40%. And here she was, letting the poor computer cry for help as 4 slid down to 4… 2… 1… black. Jane bit her lip and slid it into its personalized case. Lugging her stuff down to ground level, she looked around and saw three sisters and Jeffery, who were all _way_ too cheerful for ten at night. Yawning, she pulled her bags out, and instantly dropped them.

Rosalind peeked out of the window, and sighed happily, noticing the twinkling of firelight coming from inside of the rustic paradise.

Batty stumbled over Skye's luggage, and looked up at the house, surprised at the beauty.

"Oh, for the love of…" Skye groaned, who was in a rotten mood from the combined anxiousness of the whole "acting" thing, and also when Batty climbed into her compartment for company, and almost spied Arnold.

The bad mood, however, didn't prevent her from smuggling six more still-cold Ben & Jerry's into her mainly empty carry-on bag.

Her bad mood didn't dissipate when she saw the house… but even Grumpy Skye couldn't trash the house. It WAS awfully nice. It was a huge mountain retreat, complete with fireplaces, plush sofas, and a size that rivaled mansions- four medium houses across and three stories high.

_ This… can't be sponsored by school. _Skye though in a hazy panic. _Where are we?_

_ Where did dad send us?_


	6. Munch A Cookie and Think About Tommorow

The door swung open, and warmth flooded out, the sisters drawn toward it like a moth to flame. A sweet looking lady in a blue peasant top and jeans beckoned them in, and smiled. Jane hurried in first, hoping for an outlet to charge her poor laptop. Rosalind followed, trailed by Batty, who only had eyes for the beautiful hawk statues perched on the soaring beams of the ceiling. Skye debated burrowing back into her bunk on the bus, but decided not to. Carefully ignoring Melissa, she walked slowly into the well-lit building, and grit her teeth.

"My name's Anene*," began the lady. "I'll be the one you come to if you need anything. I know you're probably exhausted, so we'll have the tour tomorrow. Bedrooms are upstairs. Rooms are pretty high tech, so use what you want and don't worry. Any questions?" Skye raised her hand.

"Is this school-sponsored?"

"We'll get to that tomorrow." Anene replied. Skye mentally scoffed. _Yes or no question, not really a "talk about tomorrow" kinda question. _However, not wanting to annoy a lady she'd be holing up with for three months, she smiled and bided her time.

"We have a main floor with a kitchen, a game room, and off course, our common room. Upstairs we have a floor stretching the length of this one, divided into four wings." Anene studied a chart she picked up on her way to the staircase. "Four rooms per wing. Each wing has it's own bathroom, so, since you're in the same wing, you'll be sharing a bit. Don't worry, the bathrooms are big, so that oughta compensate. You're put down as the yellow wing. That's up the stairs and to the left. On the floor above that is the theatre, which we call the Black Box. Of course, that'll only be used for practice. Stage shop's next to the theatre. That's about all! Sorry for rambling a lot. By the way, can any of you cook?" Rosalind raised her hand, disarmingly cheery for someone who had traveled for fourteen hours. "Wonderful. Clara just quit. I hope you won't mind taking over for her." Rosalind opened her mouth, but Anene pushed them to the sweeping staircase. "You seem exhausted, so you should really get to sleep. Good night, and don't bother anyone in other wings. You'll know yellow when you see it."

"Good night?" Rosalind asked, almost warily. Skye hurried up the stairs, and found four short hallways. One was sky blue, another pale green, another very soft pink, and one pale yellow. Skye rushed down the yellow hallway, opened the door, and turned on the light. The room was a lot like the bus, much to Skye's happiness. She fished out her ice cream and stashed it in a mini fridge off to the side of her room. Noticing a small little kitchen nook, including a microwave and a stash of simple cooking materials, such as Oreos and some microwavable spaghetti. Skye imagined barricading the door to her room and living on cookies and wet noodles for three months. Admitting that might not be the best plan, Skye nevertheless took three cookies and munched thoughtfully. The room was filled with various shades of yellow. Pale yellow walls matched the daisy comforter, with a white wicker chair the designer softened with a bright yellow pillow on top of a buttercup-colored rug that spread over light-colored hardwood. It seemed airy. And bright. And Skye couldn't help but admit that this place was pretty nice. But, of course, that totally didn't change her mind about this… this… torture chamber.

Obviously.

Jane was slightly disappointed they didn't get the lavender room, but she still liked the comforting yellow of the decor. The big screen TV at the retractable foor of her bed didn't hurt either. However, her laptop was pitifully silent inside of her case dragged her away from the glory of her king-sized bed. "Ah-hah!" Jane spied an outlet right next to said bed, and, with fumbling fingers, desperately plugged in the charger located in the outside pocket of her suitcase. The laptop charged rapidly, and in about half a minute was whirring and clicking to life. Life hanging by a thread, as it only had one percent of battery, but life nonetheless. Jane carefully closed the laptop and gently rested it on a buttery ottoman.

"We're going to sleep now, Funty." Batty told the elephant. "It's past your bedtime." Batty laid down Ursula and Funty and was asleep in seconds.

Rosalind was happy with her room, but something kept interrupting her. Her stomach kept rumbling. Rosalind looked down in surprise.

_I just ate…_ She told herself. _It isn't proper to go looking for a snack right now._ Her stomach apparently didn't like that idea, and growled louder. Rosalind groaned in defeat and padded over to the mini-fridge. Swinging open the door and basking in the cool air that escaped, she saw it was full of drinks of all kinds, ginger ale, Sprite, even the means to make a Shirley Temple. No food, though. Sighing, she swung it closed, and flicked her eyes to her oak door. There was a very big fridge down there… and Aneneh _did _say she was going to bed… Rosalind crept over to the door and touched it. It fairly whispered open. Rosalind tiptoed out the door and down the wooden stairs, pausing at the nook where the kitchen was contained. The door to the fridge… was open. Two slippered feet were poking out the bottom, and whistling softly, the person rummaging through the food that was _supposed _to be Rosalind's carried out a big tub of what seemed to be ice cream. He lugged out a large pitcher of chocolate syrup and perched it in a microwave. Shutting the small door, he touched a button and the microwave whirred around. It beeped to a stop, and he grasped the small handle and placed it next to the ice cream. A jar of Oreo pieces rested on the counter, and he simply transferred it to the other , he yanked out a small, frosty container of maraschino cherries. Rosalind stepped up, and smiled. She recognized that monstrous appetite.

"Civilized people use bowls, you know."

Tommy plunked down two bowls of ice cream and gestured to the toppings.

"Choose what you will, my lady." He bowed in a teasing manner. Rosalind took the hot fudge and poured about a quarter of the enormous pitcher onto the sugary dessert, throwing away her rules of balanced eating, and eagerly dug into the cherries, trapping four against the side and fishing them out. Plunking down into a chair at the bar table, she placed her dessert next to Tommy's. If Rosalind's ice cream was excessive, Tommy's was downright impressive. Tommy dumped off the three quarters left of the hot fudge and carefully arranged twelve cherries on top of his sundae. Digging into her ice cream, Rosalind sighed. _Ahhhhhhh_. That hit the spot. Tommy drew his spoon out of his mouth.

"So, you aren't going to question me randomly being at an acting camp?" He asked, popping a cherry into his mouth.

"Nope."

"You don't want an explanation?"

"Uh-uh."

"Will you listen if I explain?"

"Yes."

"OK."

"Well?"

"All right then."

"Mom's away, and couldn't find anything else-"

"On short notice, yeah, I've heard."

"Um. Well then. That's creepy."

"Anyway, I don't really want to be here anyway." Rosalind thoughtfully munched on an oddly large cookie piece, and continued her small speech. "Jane's obviously ecstatic, and Batty doesn't care. I feel for Skye, though. She's terrified. I never thought that I'd see Skye brought to her knees." Tommy sighed, and dumped his bowl into the sink.

"Well, she's going to get a lot worse tomorrow. We start practice.


	7. Icebreakers Don't Quite Break Skye's Ice

**BTW, Anene is pronounced:**

**Ahn-ehn-neh**

"Rosalind!" A voice hissed through the morning light. The lamp was snapped on, and Anene shook her shoulder.

"What?"

"Get up!"

"Why?" Rosalind turned to her phone sleepily and clicked it on. "It's six-thirty in the morning!"

"Yes!" Anene sounded impatient. "You have to prepare breakfast, of course!" Rosalind sat bolt upright.

"You weren't kidding yesterday?"

"Of course no!" Anene flicked her finger at the vanity across the room. "Get dressed. The means for pancakes will be found in the fridge." Rosalind turned over, groaned and sat up. Anene had, oddly, had managed to slip out in the seven seconds it took to do so.

Skye woke groggy and miserable, and stumbled over to the spacious dresser. Wincing at her reflection, she pulled a brush through her hair and fumbled her way to the bathroom across the hall. Filling the basin with cool water, she splashed her face and braided back her hair. Braiding was the only fancy thing she would ever do to it, and, although it was irritating to admit it, it was quite comfortable. Refreshed, Skye checked her pocket. She had tucked Arnold into her pocket for sleeping, and wanted to make sure he was still there. Finding that he was, Skye fished Arnold out, and carefully propped him on the sink counter. Glancing at the door to make sure she had locked it, Skye turned to her toiletry bag, which she had thrown onto the counter next to her sisters'. Rosalind's magnolia-patterned bag seemed to have been used already; the silver zipper was only halfway zipped, and the counter around it seemed a bit damp. Jane's bag was midnight black and covered with stars. Batty had to buy a new one for the trip, and was delighted to find one printed with zoo animals.

"I don't want a bag for toothpaste! I'll leave it in a ziplock," Skye had insisted, but cracked when Rosalind dug up a pure white bag printed with stark black algebra problems. Skye was enamored, and bought it in a fit of impulse. It was plump with her toothbrush, floss, twenty pony bands, soap, shampoo and conditioner, and her blueberry acai Eos chapstick. Jane had given it to her for her birthday, and pleaded with her to use it. Skye didn't mind. She liked the round curve of the ball, which she had found the loose circumference of it on one boring afternoon, and it was nice to have her lips not hurt in the winter, as they had been provoked to bleeding at least once every week by the cold wind. Glossing on a thin coat, Skye pulled on jeans and her favorite sweatshirt, the one from the Air and Space museum, and tucked Arnold in the pocket. You never know when he might come in handy. Slipping downstairs, she found Rosalind, who looked very pretty and put-together in a brown skirt paired with an apricot sweater. Skye noticed she was tired, but freshened up by a dab of blush and a coat of peach lipstick. Her hair fell in gentle waves, and was pinned back on one side by a soft blue barrette. _How does she ever look so composed?_ Sliding a stack of pancakes and toppings in front of Skye, Rosalind explained why the toppings were so numerous.

"Apparently Saturday is Pancake Fiesta." Skye shrugged, and debated her options. She spooned a large helping of raspberries on top of her stack and drizzled maple over it.

"Are you… excited? For the first lesson, I mean?" Rosalind tried to continue, but Skye gave the jar of raspberry jam she was inspecting such a nasty look that Rosalind dropped her attempt. Skye jabbed the jam with a spoon, and dumped it on the top of her stack.

"I dunno." Skye said, so venomously, Rosalind whisked away her own plate, which were sticky with syrup, just to keep a safe distance from the anger.

"Well, at least you're keeping an open mind about it."

"Yeah." Skye finished her pancakes so quickly, Rosalind feared she might be sick. Skye quickly disappeared upstairs, and fingered amblygonite in one hand and the maraschino cherry container she had sneaked into her pocket. Hurling open the door to her room, she locked it and began to conduct a chemistry experiment: creating a Shirley Temple. Pouring half a cup of Sprite and half a cup of grenadine, (the cherry flavoring,) she garnished it with two ice cubes and a generous heap of maraschino cherries.

"I drink to my troubles," Skye murmured. "Arnold knows I got a lot of 'em."

Meanwhile, Jane had been throwing everything in her trunk all over the room. Finally lighting upon a flowing skirt and lavender top, she pulled back her hair with a flowered headband. Rushing down, Jane snatched a pancake and about three toppings, and rushed to wake Batty up.

?!

"Welcome to the Black Box," Anene gushed. The black box was a large room with black bricks, black curtains, a black floor… although it sounded dark and creepy, Jane thought, it was surprising well lit with lots of natural light, and the black seemed to make it cosy. "Since today's our first day, we are just going to play an icebreaker. After that, you may retire to your rooms or to the game room for a bit, and you will make your own lunch when hungry. Well, until 5:00. We will have a meeting here, at that precise time, and then will be high time for supper. So, let's begin with you, shall we? Tell us your… hmm… favorite activity. Yes. Then continue on around the circle." Skye didn't hear most of the instructions. She was too busy hiding from a person she didn't want to see very much.

"OK." He began. "Well, I'm Daniel. I love taking care of animals, especially donkeys. They're just so cute!."

"Skye. Algebra."

"Hi, everyone! I'm Jane Penderwick, and my favorite activity is reading. Mainly about fairies!"

"Will, everyone. I enjoy training my dog. Not the most intelligent brute, but he tries."

The next four passed in a blur of dullness, but the pace picked up again after four boys had recited their activities in a monotone.

"I am Jeffrey, and I'm super super excited to be here. I don't really have a favorite activity… but I do enjoy eloping with my girlfriend and getting accidentally drugged."

Everyone stared. He shrugged.

"I really like the play."

"I'm Melissa, and I like philosophy."

"Pearson. Nothing much," Pearson said while staring fixedly at Skye.

"Good morning. I'm Rosalind, and I'm sort of a peacemaker."

"Elizabeth, but please call me Batty. I like playing with my dog Hound, and pretending to fly!"

"Tommy. I like hanging out with my girlfriend," Tommy said winningly, and Rosalind blushed and smiled.

"Wonderful. Kindly return to recreational activities. We have three months and one play, so we may draw this out a bit." No one moved after Anene spoke. "Go on! Be free!"

**OK, so some of you may be confused if you haven't read the play. I tried my darndest to have the activities of the actors match the person they're going to be playing in the play. It was super-hard to "modernize" them, so they may be confusing. For those of you who are dedicated, and READ these, I will give you a spoiler as an example. Will is going to be Oberon, and he was talking about training his dog, and talking a bit rudely about his dog. This reflects his subjects, as he is not complimentary and often harsh with them. The lovers will be hard to differentiate, as Shakespeare was conveying a message with that (read the play, I'm not explaining!) and that was the point. If you can figure them out off of the top of your head, you get a present. Tell me who you nut out! NO GOOGLING. Not the characters, not the plot, just… no. That's cheating, man. You are welcome to look in the book if you have it floating around. Number one should be ridiculously easy if you've read the book. Batty will be difficult. Try your best!**

**Luv ya! Have fun guessing!**


	8. Pearson, This Is a Smidge Pathetic

Jane was bored, but she was worried about going downstairs. She wasn't typically shy, but she wasn't eager to have the people she was living with for three months learn what she was like. _Not that there's anything whatsoever wrong with me!_ She thought quickly. _I don't know. I just want to be prepared. Be my… best self. _Jane walked over to her suitcase to find something interesting to do while she was trapped in her room. Eventually lighting upon a nail kit she had received as a present and thrown in her suitcase without a second thought, Jane shrugged and pulled out the flowered case. Filing the tips of her nails into long crescents, she dug out a light blue polish called "space alien". Loading the tiny brush with polish and wiping it on the inside of the bottle, she stroked the bristles from her cuticles to the tips of her fingernails. The time passed all too quickly, and soon she had pretty fingers, but nothing to do. Jane plugged in her straightening iron.

_This is an awfully spa-like day, _she thought grumpily. Jane made it a rule not to care about her appearance too much, not Skye-level indifference, but not so much she was constantly dwelling on her beauty, and here she was, straightening her hair and painting her nails. Clamping the handle on the top of her hair and running it down, Jane could hardly help but notice how nice it looked. Smooth as silk. Wrestling the last curl into place, Jane had no choice but to sit, bored again, just to jump up and pace. A zinging feeling spread through her skin. What did characters in books do when they were anxious? Jane bit her lip. One character took a bath. Huh. Well, she didn't take on last night. Sure. Jane grabbed her be-starred toiletry bag and locked the bathroom door. Careful not to chip her nails- wow, they really were quick dry!- she twisted the knobs on the water spout to her preferred temperature. She was an oddball in the family. Rosalind liked her bathwater warm, not hot, Skye knew cold was better for skin, so the bathtub was always frigid after her, and Batty didn't care. Jane liked hers hot, scalding hot. She typically had to soak a bit of her at a time to get used to the water. Inching herself in, she squirted a drop of bubble bath into the water, and grabbed the squat yellow folder from beside the tub. Daddy had printed out her play, and turned it into a bound book for a birthday surprise. Flipping to the middle, she read the first sentence her eyes landed on.

"Rainbow, dear sister, do you want to die?"

"No, Grass Flower. I don't. But I must save my people."

"I wish to be half as brave as you, sister."

_Rainbow wouldn't be shy,_ Jane thought. _It's not that hard to say hello. It's eleven thirty-two. I can go down and grab a bite to eat, and if I run into someone, well, I run into someone._ Jane was about to step out of the tub, when she paused, and, almost impulsively, dunked her head in the water. _There,_ she thought with a trace of something almost giddy as her hair sprang out of their barely contained straw-straight form. _If they don't like curls, tough._ Without bothering to grab a blow dryer, she bounced out of the bathroom.

Batty was in love with the scene shop. She had been playing in the Black Box when her ball dribbled through an open door, and the scene shop was revealed. The walls were of light oak, and the ceilings were enormously high. The floor was speckled with dried red, yellow, blue, orange, white, and purple paint, and it was fairly crammed with props of all kinds, from a dragon head taller than she was to a silver Victorian tea set. Glancing around, she had lighted upon a loft, roughly the size of three large walk in closets stuck together, with all kinds of toys. Dolls rested, smiling, on ledges, wooden animals seemed about to leap in the air, and Beanie Babies ruled the coop with their own personal shelf. Scrambling up the ladder, Batty reached for a snow leopard, life sized, and hugged it. So soft. Glancing around, Batty threw her arms around its waist and lugged it over to a person-length basket with string tied to it, presumably for faster ways of lowering big, breakable items. She carefully set her leopard on the basket and lowered it to the ground. Wrapping it's paws around her back, she ran to her room, and set it next to her bed, lovingly petting it.

Skye was ravenous. Her berry pancake seemed like it was hours ago. Looking up from her book- The Demon Haunted World, which was about the Big Bang, she noticed her watch. 1:30? _Well, then. At least I can get lunch without looking like a hungry freak._ Grabbing Arnold and stashing him in her pocket, she slid down the banister. Dropping into the kitchen, she opened the fridge and pulled out some cheese and mayonnaise. Snatching a tomato from the fruit basket, she whisked bread out of the pantry and pulled out a butter knife.

"Hey, Skye." Pearson was leaning against the door, slouched. He was dressed in all grey, for some reason, from a grey baseball cap to grey shoestrings. He might think it looked cool, but the _Outsiders_ look was not working for him.

"Hi." Skye responded briefly.

"So, there's a little town walking distance away. It's a nice hike, about five or six miles. Maybe we could go sometime?"

"You like walking?" Skye sweetly asked.

"Um. Yeah."

"Why don't you walk off a cliff?"

Pearson shifted, and pulled out something olive green.

"I made you a bracelet?" He asked.

"Pearson, no offense, but that is the ugliest thing I've ever seen."

"I really think we should walk to the town, grab something to eat, how about tomorrow?"

"I'm busy."

"With what? Skye, you can't bury yourself in Algebra forever."

"She won't have to bury herself in Algebra forever," came a voice. Jeffery was smiling pleasantly at Pearson. "She wanted to take a walk with me."

"Oh. Sorry, man." Pearson shuffled off dolefully, limp as a piece of lettuce.

"Nice job, Skye. I think you made him cry."

"Jeffery, that's not nice."

"I know, sorry. I'll make you a sandwich while you get over his painful, swollen, puppy-dog adoration."

"Are you trying to make this as embarrassing as possible?"

"Maybe." Jeffrey admitted. "Pearson isn't THAT bad. Maybe after a few fencing lessons he can be your knight in dull grey armor!" He slashed his mayonnaise filled knife through the air, nearly hitting Skye with a zinging blob of fat. "En garde! Can't you picture yourself in a gauzy blue gown, fainting on a turret? _My hero, my hero!_ You'd swoon while Pearson fights off a dragon with the Olive Circle Sword from the town of Ugly!"

"Ugly?"

"Sorry, I meant to pronounce it OO glee."

"Finish my sandwich and stop babbling."

"Sorry, Ma'am." Jeffrey sliced a tomato and laid two pieces on top of the mayo. Unpeeling a cheese slice from it's wrapping, he topped the sandwich with some bread and hunted around in the drawers. "Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Trust me."

Jeffrey shuffled around a little, and placed something in front of Skye. Her sandwich had a toothpick with a green top poked through it.

"How did you know my favorite color?" Skye asked curiously. He shrugged.

"Guessed. Hey, um, Skye?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to… I don't know. Never mind. I'm hungry, I'm tired and… are you wearing chapstick?" Skye froze.

"Birthday present," she blurted.

"It's OK, I mean,"

"What, I need your permission?"

"No, no! It looks nice?"

"Was that a question?"

"No, I just wanted a way out of my question and now this is messed up and… you look good. Great actually!"

"I look… good."

"Yeah."

"What is this, fifth grade?"

"No, it's just… Skye, we've known each other since we were little kids."

"Yes."

"And, yeah."

"Jeffery?"

"Yeah?"

"You want a way out of this, don't you?"

"Yup."

"This never happened."

"Nope."  
"It's forgotten."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"Skye?"

"Yes?"

"You _are_ pretty."

"Gee, thanks."

"Really."

**Was the relationship change too quick? I kind of want to get it on the road for a plot point later on. Anyway, three chapters in three days. *tear*. My baby's gonna fly! : , )**


	9. Spiders and Vipers and Bears- Oh My!

"Thank you for meeting with us today," Anene began. Skye studied her. She had strong beauty, with nut brown hair and and the way she carried herself. She seemed like a queen, upright with shoulders thrown back, and the way she talked, with words rolling into the air off of her tongue. _I wish I could speak like that_, Skye thought with a sudden surge of longing. "Tomorrow the real lessons begin. For now, however, I would like to explain why this doesn't seem to be sponsored by your school.

"This kind of studio and traveling tour doesn't come cheap. This home in the mountains alone cost 3.2 million dollars. The costs for… other things total to approximately 29 BILLION dollars. " Her words were slow and sweet, but powerful, like they were chocolate coated, and rang through the room. It was almost hypnotizing. "This kind of loan was a big deal. Massachusetts decided to loan this money to us to help the arts. We, however, have not managed to pay more than half the cost, though we are world renowned. We pull in a wonderful money intake, but it isn't enough. Massachusetts was wonderfully considerate, and decided that if we were to train and tour one of the schools, they would waive the rights to the remaining money due. They plugged in all of the names of all the schools in Massachusetts into a computer, randomly selected one, and it happened to be you.

Now you know why you have the honor of performing with us. I am passing out a sheet that you must memorize by tomorrow. You will present it. Try to sound like you care."

Anene handed a worksheet to Skye labeled Behavior Part 1.

_So, this guy keys my car. I happen to turn back. I see him. I yell suitable obscenities. He yells back, in somewhat more colorful language, "You parked with three inches clearance on the driver's side, jerk!" He then picks up a rock, turns my front window into a spiderweb, and walks off. But, clever coward that I am, I follow. I get his license number._

_ I have now written the police, asking he be put in a cell with vipers, spiders, and bears. This is called polite and appropriate revenge. I could have just told my mother, who would have found his house and stabbed him to death with her onyx letter opener._

"Why this an exercise?" Rosalind timidly asked. "Why is this one special enough to be put on a worksheet?" Anene fixed her with a stare, but thawed, and even smiled.

"This one is… significant. We'll learn more about it tomorrow."

_I can't believe I'm here again,_ Skye thought grouchily. She knew she was going to be terrible at the exercise, and wasn't anxious to faint in the middle of class. Anene pulled back a curtain to show a whiteboard, with two verses written on it in green marker.

"Read this aloud. Together!" Skye stared at the board, and began monotonously.

"I know a bank where the wild thyme blows. Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows. Quite over canopied with luscious woodbine. Sweet musk roses and eglantine."

"Good." Anene spoke doubtfully, like she didn't believe it herself. "Can anyone tell me what is being described in this?" She adjusted her skirt, and looked around challengingly. Later Skye would protest, I didn't mean to be a smart alec, I didn't! I thought it was the right answer, but would still laugh at the expression that had appeared on Anene's face.

"Um, a bank?" Skye guessed, tone flat. Anene looked like a cow suffering from buttercup withdrawal.

"But WHAT bank? No need to be 'smart'."

"Um. One with eglantine?"

"No. What is the bank USED for? Isn't that obvious? Honestly!"

"How was I supposed to know that was the question? You weren't specific enough!" Skye was angry. Imprecision made her angry, and Anene was asking for every word Skye wanted to say..

"Jeffery, you seem to know the answer." Anene turned to him, face flushed.

"Yeah, it's Titania's sleeping place." Jeffrey instantly was remorseful that he had answered when Skye looked at him, hurt that he hadn't stood up to Anene.

"Correct. Why don't you begin your behavior part one?" Jeffrey stood up, and slowly moved to the chair. _He,_ Skye thought, _interprets his exercise as powerful and vibrant_. Jeffrey seemed angry, and like he needed to protect what was his.

"Good. Batty?" Batty shocked all by being surprisingly good at understanding the lines. She spoke them almost like she was resigned, like she didn't like the fact the guy keyed her car, but she understood the reasoning. Daniel was humorous with face contortions and seemed so pleased with his finding the license number, with a puffed up chest and giant smile on his face, that everyone cracked up. Rosalind and Tommy both did theirs similarly, almost regal in mannar. _This is what they get coming to them and they deserve it. And __I__ made it happen._ Jane was scary with a calm expression and a soft voice. She was seething within, but too composed to show it. Pearson did his a lot like Jeffrey's, but was less powerful. Will was strong and loud, and not afraid to show it. And then it was Skye. Skye walked to the stage, and began. This piece wasn't too hard. Skye was angry. She was angry at Anene, she was angry at having to go to an acting camp, and she poured it into her exercise, the best bits of her performance being when she described in detail how her mother was planning to kill this idiot who trashed her car and what the cell was supposed to be filled with. Spiders, vipers, and BEARS.

"All of you did well." Anene smiled. "Rosalind, dear, do you know how to make soup?"

Rosalind didn't know why _she_ was stirring tortilla soup and not demanding that Anene do the cooking since it was, after all, HER precious camp. She poured in the black beans, suddenly resigned, and stirred quickly. Ladling several portions into the blue ceramic bowls, she sprinkled on some cheese and dumped a bag of tortilla chips into a serving dish. Finishing up the Ceasar salad by scattering a handful of croutons over it, she carried out the soup and salad bowls on a serving tray.

"Here you go," she said absentmindedly, quickly pressing a can of Sprite into everyone's hand, she collapsed into her seat and began wolfing down her salad. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying the soup, when Rosalind remembered dessert- the unmade desert, which was sure to rise the disappointment of everyone in the camp. Bolting from the table she thought through all the simple desserts she knew, and whipped up some chocolate mousse as quickly as she could. Slicing up a banana, she scattered it over the fluffy dessert and rushed it to the table. _I have GOT to find an end to this,_ Rosalind groaned, dolloping large servings onto every plate. _Soon._

**Thanks to my own drama class for the finding of Behavior Part 1! Special thanks to Mr. Sharp, the drama teacher.**


	10. Back in the Saddle (Oops!) Black Box

"_Back in the __saddle__ Black Box again_," Skye thought gloomily.

"Today, we're starting auditions. I know it's quick, but if we are going to be tour-ready in a month and a half, we need to begin. I'm sorry you have to base yourself off of natural talent, but I'll polish you as we continue. I already know one person's part... " Anene smiled to herself and glanced ever so quickly at Batty. "She'll be perfect. Anyway, I have a monolouge that I want Donald and Jeffrey to both do. Those of you in the audience, please sit quietly and LISTEN." Anene handed a crisp sheet of white paper to Donald, then to Jeffery. "Donald, you may begin." Donald hesitated, and frowned at the paper. He started, and stopped. And paused, and began. And stuttered. And hemmed. And hawed.

"He goes before me and still... dares me on:

When I come… where he calls, then he is gone.

The villain is much… lighter-heel'd than I:

I follow'd fast... but faster he did fly;

That fallen... am I in dark… uneven way,

And here... will rest me.

Come, thou…. gentle day!

Donald looked up helplessly. "Awful." He said sadly.

"It's fine!" Anene soothed, but bit her lip and looked hopefully at Jeffrey. "Will you try?" Jeffrey took the paper and began. Surprisingly, he was wonderful. He flew through the paper without a problem. He knew the words, and the words knew him, almost. They flew through his body and thrummed out into the air. He looked up happily at the end.

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!" Anene cried. She seemed to have finally regained her buttercups from the other day. "Perfect, perfect, perfect! Batty, dear, please try… this one. It may be a bit advanced, but I think you may be able to do it." Batty took the script and paled instantly, but regained some color and began quite strongly.

"Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite

Called…"

"Almost, dear. It's pronounced Call'd."

"Called?"

"No. Call...'d

"Callllllled."

"Just… continue." Anene made a tiny flick on her clipboard.

"… Robin Goodfellow: are not you he

That frights the maidens of the villagery;

Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the… Quarn?

"Quern."

"Quarn."

"Here, repeat after me. Quehr…"

"Quehr…"

"Quehrn."

"Quern?"

"Perfect."

"And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;

And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;

Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,

You do their work, and they shall have good luck:

Are not you he?"

"Very good! Very good. Maybe I shall promote you after all…" Murmured Anene. Skye peeked over her shoulder and saw her scratch out _Batty… Moth_ and change it to _Batty… Wandering Fairy/Moth_. Everyone else was blank, except for Jeffery, who was inked in so lightly the words were unreadable.

"We shall have one more for today… perhaps… Batty! I hate to ask you to read another, but since we have to downsize, I am considering you for two smaller parts. Will you read this?" Anene handed another paper to Batty.

"I pray you, commend me to Mistress Squash, your

mother, and to Master Peascod, your father. Good

Master Peaseblossom, I shall desire you of more

acquaintance too. Your name, I beseech you, sir?"

Batty tripped over the words, but not in a _I don't know how to do this _kind of way. More like a bubbling stream of merry laughter underpinning her voice.

"I know just who to place you as." Skye looked over Anene's shoulder again and saw reach for a green pen and deftly circle Batty's name and the part she had lightly marked her as earlier. "Oh, wonderful! Time for one more part… Donald. Since you were disappointed with your earlier performance, I think perhaps this one will suit you better.

"That very time I saw, but thou couldst not,

Flying between the cold moon and the earth,

Cupid all arm'd: a certain aim he took

At a fair vestal throned by the west,

And loosed his love-shaft smartly from his bow,

As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts;

But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft

Quench'd in the chaste beams of the watery moon,

And the imperial votaress passed on,

In maiden meditation, fancy-free.

Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell:

It fell upon a little western flower,

Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound,

And maidens call it love-in-idleness.

Fetch me that flower; the herb I shew'd thee once:

The juice of it on sleeping eye-lids laid

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees.

Fetch me this herb; and be thou here again

Ere the leviathan can swim a league!"

Donald performed with drama and powerful gestures. He owned the words. He WAS the words. And lastly, he knew how to perfect the words. He was a far cry from Batty's merry singing earlier. He was… dangerous.

"Goodness! That was quite good, Donald. Now. A movie. Please walk to the movie theatre, which is three lefts and a right. Press the green button. It's one of my favorites. Please excuse the black and white. Good night, I'm going to bed."

Skye checked her watch. It was three in the afternoon.

"Anene?"

"Yes, Skye?"  
"Are… are you OK?"

"I'm perfectly fine Miss Skye. Now please walk to the movie theatre. At once!"


	11. Poised and Perfect

Skye decided that she liked this movie. The name was _Arsenic and Old Lace,_ and she looked up to the elderly aunts, who took in old borders and poisoned them with elderberry wine to "put them out of their misery of being lonely".

_Those ladies are my role models,_ Skye thought, her mouth twisting in amusement, and continued watching the movie, just to feel her hair rise unpleasantly as Pearson quietly got up from his seat beside Melissa and slid into the seat next to Skye.

"Hi, Skye," Pearson whispered, and held out the ugly, homemade bracelet again. "Please wear it. It took me hours to make!"

"Hours badly spent, then. Please be quiet; I'm trying to watch the movie." Skye said frostily. She turned to the screen and watched Mortimer, the nephew of the aunts, Abby and Martha, throw a phone against the wall. _I feel ya, dude,_ Skye thought. Throwing something would be an awfully nice release of tension. Melissa picked her way around the seats and plopped down next to Pearson.

"Pearson? Why'd you leave? Was I being annoying? I wasn't talking!"

"Melissa, be quiet for heaven's sake; I'm trying to talk to Skye." Melissa wilted, looking crushed. Skye, against her will, felt a twinge of pity for her, and pulled the bracelet from Pearson's hand. She then threw it to the ground with a final gesture, and smiled sweetly at Pearson, her eyes daring him to pick it up. _Just try it, buddy boy. Have a wish to have your fingers stomped on? I'm perfectly willing to provide that service._ Melissa lunged over and picked it up, trying to be nonchalant.

"Pearson, this is beautiful!" Her face seemed to glow as she looked at Pearson, and the glow almost changed the hideous twisted metal to something more special, like an angel's halo.

Well. A very _ugly_ green halo.

"Melissa, please. That's for Skye; don't touch it." Melissa seemed to deflate, and even Skye, who hated Melissa more than anyone else, winced at Melissa's pain. She had to do something. And, even if it was a tiny bit for personal gain, so what?

"Pearson, I don't want it. Give it to Melissa if she wants it. Seriously, get a clue." Skye stood up from her seat and walked to the back of the room, barricading herself in an empty corner and holding tight to her amblygonite attached to Arnold's flipper. Pearson started after her, Melissa reaching after him, when Donald, who held the remote, paused the movie.

"Pearson Hodgewell, please stop moving around. That goes for you too Melissa Abernathy." Pearson turned bright red and stopped his ascent towards Skye. He grudgingly sat down by Melissa, who offered him some popcorn, which he took, surprised, and gave her a small smile. Popping a Junior mint into her mouth, Skye smirked, her thoughts very un-Skye-like. Maybe it was fun playing matchmaker every now and then, especially if it got two enemies out of her way.

Jane loved her room. It had anything and everything that she wanted. If she pulled the curtains around her bed, raised the flat-screen at the foot of her bed, and mixed a Shirley Temple with lots of cherry syrup and five cherries- just the way she always drank it- she could pretend she was back on the train. Touching the power button, Jane sat back and sipped her Shirley Temple, shivering a bit as the bubbles fizzed down her throat. She aimed the remote at the TV and clicked a button, smiling as Gilmore Girls came on. She was ready for a marathon watching.

"Rosalind, dear, I want you to memorize this by tomorrow. It's not all from A Midsummer Night's Dream, but the parts may help me place you. I want to know which emotion is your forte." Rosalind scanned the paper handed to her anxiously.

line break…

When to the sessions of sweet silent thought

I summon up remembrance of things past,

I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,

And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:

Then can I drown an eye, unused to flow,

Rosalind had an unpleasant flashback of the time she had to read a Shakespeare sonnet, and couldn't find anything not about love. Her voice wavered on the words, and the paper was trembling so much she couldn't make out the last word, and dropped her voice to nothing. She looked at the next one, and relaxed a bit.

Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;

Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;

Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,

Our dreadful marches to delightful measures.

Grim-visaged war hath smooth'd his wrinkled front;

And now, instead of mounting barded steeds

To fright the souls of fearful adversaries,

He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber

To the lascivious pleasing of a lute.

_This is exactly how I've always had to act around my sisters. I've been fighting a war, a war to raise them, and now I'm successful. Daddy is wonderful, but he doesn't know how to raise girls without a mother. Iantha is wonderful, too, but she wasn't here for a while. I'm Rosalind, the oldest, and the one that they always looked up too._

_ Once Anna told me that I have posture just like a queen's. Yeah, because I always need to be poised. Graceful. Perfect. I basically raised Batty on my own, and the others look to me. Not Daddy, me. And if I'm not perfect, they don't know what to do._

_ That's why this part makes sense to me. _

Anene was beaming by the time Rosalind finished the second paragraph. As she started the third, Anene held up a hand.

"No. Stop. You're good. That's all I need, dearie. Now… since you are so comfortable togethter, and since it's the only part for him... " Anene had gone off into musing, and so Rosalind simply nodded and returned to her seat. "Hmmm… Daniel! Here." Anene handed a slim sheet of paper to Daniel and nodded at the open space used for performing, her eyebrows raised. "And… Jane… all right." She handed a photocopied sheet to Jane.

Daniel began, with queer facial expressions and humorous gestures.

"I see their knavery: this is to make an ass of me;

to fright me, if they could. But I will not stir

from this place, do what they can: I will walk up

and down here, and I will sing, that they shall hear

I am not afraid.

_Sings_

The ousel cock so black of hue,

With orange-tawny bill,

The throstle with his note so true,

The wren with little quill,-"

Jane chimed in, in a voice full of rapture,

"What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?"

Daniel continued singing, or really chanting offhandedly and happily.

"The finch, the sparrow and the lark,

The plain-song cuckoo gray,

Whose note full many a man doth mark,

And dares not answer nay;-

for, indeed, who would set his wit to so foolish

a bird? who would give a bird the lie, though he cry

'cuckoo' never so?"

Jane responded in gentle, breathy tones, full of longing and love.

"I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;

So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;

And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me

On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee."

Anene was nodding like a bobblehead dog, and biting her lip with excitement.

Daniel responded politely, but with a prideful air, putting his hands in imaginary overall straps and strutting around in a loose circle.

"Methinks, mistress, you should have little reason

for that: and yet, to say the truth, reason and

love keep little company together now-a-days; the

more the pity that some honest neighbours will not

make them friends. Nay, I can gleek upon occasion."

Jane sighed happily.

"Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful."

Daniel responded thoughtfully, but with a small deflation in manner.

"Not so, neither: but if I had wit enough to get out

of this wood, I have enough to serve mine own turn."

Firmly, but gently. She expected to be obeyed, and wouldn't hear any philandering about it.

"Out of this wood do not desire to go:

Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.

I am a spirit of no common rate;

The summer still doth tend upon my state;

And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;

I'll give thee fairies to attend on thee,

And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,

And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;

And I will purge thy mortal grossness so

That thou shalt like an airy spirit go."

"Skye."

"Yes?"

"Try this." And with that, Anene, who didn't even comment on Jane and Daniel's performance, handed her a sheet with a long monologue on it. And Skye poured everything into this monolouge. Her desperation at being a camp specializing in a topic she hated, Rosalind's frazzled comments about her cooking, Daddy abandoning her to go off to a meeting, her hatred, which hadn't been there until now, for Anene, her annoyance at Jane's rapture, her longing to throw Pearson's bracelet (and Pearson) into a toilet, and, most of all, her longing for Mommy, who would never ever make her recite, she and made the black box ring with her anguished words.

"Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best

To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!

Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!

Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:

Methought a serpent eat my heart away,

And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.

Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!

What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?

Alack, where are you speak, and if you hear;

Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.

No? then I well perceive you all not nigh

Either death or you I'll find immediately."

"Good." Anene's crisp voice rang sharply through the black box. "Cast list will be out tomorrow. You are all dismissed. Now, please!"

**Yup. Cast list out tomorrow. Can you wait? 'Cause I can't!**


	12. (Sniff!) A Donkey Size Hole in my Heart

Jane sat, staring, at the green poster board in the middle of the common room that was to hold the noble sheet that would tell her her role. The only time she took her eyes off of it was to glance around for Daniel.

"He promised to visit me," she grumbled softly. "He promised me a game of air hockey." Jane's imagination rushed to paint over the cracks in the flimsy promise. Daniel DID promise, though, right? This could be potentially romantic, right? Sure he didn't tell her what time… or what day… or even what month, but a promise was a promise. A promise was a sign of intent, right? And so Jane managed to soothe the cracks with some crimson-tinted shades.

Jane didn't even know exactly when her newfound adoration of Daniel swooped over her. Actually, she knew exactly. The exact time that they performed that scene, the one she had googled and found out it was from A Midsummer Night's Dream! And she made her declaration of love… the time when she found out that she had a Daniel-sized hole in her heart. And it wasn't the fire god with his false, treacherous… infatuation. Nonsense! The fire god was too far away from the mountains. No, this time it was the king of the fairies, yes! The king! Laughing and shaking a vial of pink… no, purple! Purple juice down on Jane's eyes and making her whole world seem tinged with a rosy glow. Rosalind, pink. Skye, pink. (although she'd hate it!) Batty, pink. But Daniel? No. He was golden. The gold edging to her rose petal…

Jane jumped out of her reverie at the sound of high-heeled footsteps. Anene strode up to the posterboard and stabbed a thumbtack through a slim sheet of paper. Jane waited, trembling, and Anene walked away to her room, and locked the door with a soft _click_. Jane leaped up and took a picture with her phone. She skittered away to her room, so she could pore over the list in private.

Downloading the cast list to her computer, Jane took a good look at the first few parts, which were those boys who were so similar no one could stand them. Starvling, Snug, yeah, yeah, yeah. She skipped right over Robin, that weird shy guy, being Puck… Right underneath them were…

"Oh my stars," Jane breathed, terrified and elated.

Skye….. Hermia

Jeffrey… Lysander

Jane had googled enough about the play to know that this would mean lots of declarations of love. And Jeffrey, who obviously had a crush on Skye (seriously, how didn't she see it, wondered Jane,) might be able to use this chance. But Skye… A Midsummer Night's Dream didn't really have stars, but Jane did know that those parts were super line-filled. Lots of lines would have to be burned into Skye's brain, obviously against her will.

Melissa… Helena

Pearson….. Demetrius

Jane bit her lip. Great. Melissa. Skye. Playing best friends. Anene was going to lose an eye over this.

Rosalind….. Hippolyta

Tommy….. Theseus

Jane giggled. Tommy was going to go crazy for this. Rosalind and Tommy playing husband and wife! King and queens too, nonetheless.

Batty…. Moth/Wandering Fairy

_Ooooh… Moth doesn't have a lot to say, but wandering fairy has a few good monologues… that's a good part!_ Jane smiled, and clicked down to the bottom, scrolling past Donald being Oberon and caught her breath. There- as plain as day!

Jane….. Titania

Daniel…. Bottom

_Well. That's official. I'm not crazy, it's meant to be! Of course, Bottom never really returns her love… and also the love is because of a magic potion… But still! It's a sign. _Jane smiled, sat back, and re-read the cast list.

Rosalind was staring at the cast list, her Iphone open to google search box. Typing in _Theseus and Hippolyta_, she clicked on the first web page she saw and smiled broadly. Her and Tommy, husband and wife. Wow. Rosalind read the small print at the bottom of the page. They were rehearsing the first ten pages tomorrow (with scripts) and to show up from 1:00 to 2:00. Rosalind took one last lingering look at Theseus and Hippolyta in black print, and ran back to her room. She set out her new blouse, the one Tommy hadn't seen, which was soft blue and complimented her pale skin, and dug for her flared kitten-grey skirt. She smiled. She was going to blow Tommy away tomorrow.

Skye didn't even know where the cast list was being put up. Instead of looking for it, she decided to bury herself in a book and read about exploding stars. It just seemed more fun than seeking down a cast list she didn't want to read. Instead of letting her reading skill go to waste on a cast list, Skye instead decided to use them on a small note that had been mysteriously placed on her bed, and admired the thin, slightly slanted penmanship.

_Meet me outside on the lift to the town tomorrow._

_Jeffery_

Skye remembered the lift. It was a small, enclosed glass ball with benches on either side that traveled on a wire just above the tree tops. It cost two million dollars to install. Skye had asked Anene, who assured her it was perfectly safe. It was the only way for them down the mountain. The bus had taken a small side path, but it was dangerous and probably not the smartest choice to charter fifteen or so kids. Now that the bus was gone, the lift was the fastest and most fun way to get to the bottom, besides the three hours of walking that would take them to the bottom. Skye had wanted to go one the lift ever since she had come, just to see what made it tick, but Anene didn't let anyone go to the town unless they had another person with them, and Rosalind had been too busy cooking, Jane too busy writing in her locked room, and Batty had been absorbed with some stuffed leopard in her room. Maybe Anene gave it to her. Gosh, Anene loved Batty. She adored her. Treated her like her own daughter. Anene even wielded a spoon and baked some real, edible cookies just because she found out Batty loved chocolate chip. Skye shook her head, and focused on the note. The glass ball looked like it might take a bit to get to the bottom… Anene said about half an hour. Half an hour of finding ways to chat. Then whatever Jeffery wanted to take her to after they got off the lift... Skye, in a sudden flood of panic, flung open the bottom drawer where she had stolen some paper from Anene's office, (mainly just to spite her), and hid it there. Pulling out her favorite blue pen, she began to make a list of every single topic she could think of.

Anene really HAD taken to Batty. Cornering her in the middle of the living room, she waved some plans with lots of complicated drawings on them."Batty, sweetie, since you're a fairy, you're going to fly! Isn't that lots of fun? I'll hang you by a wire up in the flies, and…

Batty tuned her out. Flies? At eight she knew Bug Man was a myth she had created to smooth over her fears of Norman the Nitwit, but what on earth were flies? Giant bugs that you hung wires from to dangle fake fairies over a wooden stage? How were they trained? How were they real? Genetically engineered?

"And you'll have a short gown, because Titania will have a long, purple, sparkly gown and you can contrast nicely. My two daughters are the other two fairies, Cobweb and Mustardseed, and Mustardseed is dressed in light yellow, Cobweb silver, and you will be a light green-y blue…" Anene gushed, and proceeded to pull out a glow stick and continue her babbling. "And we'll have this cool dance number thing where the stage is pitch black and you'll all be wearing glow necklaces and rings and crowns, and the whole play is going to have a touch of Bollywood in there since the prince Titania and Oberon are fighting over was Indian, you know. Oh! I have in your head dresses. I can't wait for you to try it on. You'll all swap colors, almost, like, you'll wear a silver circlet, Cobweb will wear a yellow circlet, and Mustardseed will wear a green-blue one. Cool, huh?" Batty nodded, wanting to go back to working out what she meant about flies, and excused herself politely, shutting the door to her room behind her as she collapsed on her bed.


	13. And From Far Away

Skye hated dresses. She didn't even _own_ a dress. But here she was, with absolutely no idea of what to wear _except _a dress. Ticking off sisters in her brain, she sighed. Batty- too young. Jane- would go mammothly overboard. Rosalind? Possible. Grabbing a turquoise shower curtain, she wrapped the rough fabric around her jeans and t-shirt and stormed into Rosalind's room.

"I need help. Now. What on earth am I supposed to wear?"

"Umm… Skye? Are you alright?" Rosalind stopped folding her sweaters.

"Of course. I just need help. What should I wear to the town?"

"The town?"

"Of course the town! What am I supposed to wear?" Skye was pacing around the room frantically.

"First of all," Rosalind scanned Skye's shower curtain with her dark eyes. "Please tell me you have something on under that shower curtain." Skye dropped the curtain, revealing her shirt. It had an algebraic expression on it, which Skye had answered one really boring day in language arts with a green sharpie. It was slightly blurred from repeated washing.

"Skye? Please don't tell me the story. I don't want to know why you are asking for fashion advice. And I _really_ don't want to know why you burst in here wearing a shower curtain. So here." Rosalind threw Skye her favorite light blue knit sweater. "And this." A scarlet scarf followed suit. "It's cold." Skye nodded, and calmly walked out of the room. Rosalind watched her go, shook her head, and resumed folding her white sweater with daisies.

Clad in jeans, the sweater, and the scarf, Skye waited next to the glass lift. She noticed a small, portable heater and welcomed the meager warmth it would provide. _Gosh. It totally shouldn't be this cold at the beginning of summer. Oh, well. That's the mountains for you. _Jeffrey sprinted out, boots crunching against the pine needles, and skidded to a stop.

"Hi." He panted, his breath staining the air white.

"Hi." Skye paused and looked at the glass ball. "So?"

"Yeah. I heard you wanted to go to town and figured I'd… yeah." Jeffrey fingered a lump in his jacket pocket. Skye started to ask, but stopped, figuring he'd tell her eventually. She turned towards the ball, pressing a web of needles under her boot. Jeffrey stopped shuffling around and bolted forward to open the door. Skye stepped in, and sat on one bench, the other bench for Jeffrey. Jeffrey perched on the bench, slid the bolt to the door closed, and sat back in the plush backing of the seating. Skye gasped as the glass ball suddenly jolted to a start and swayed as it rose into the air until it stopped above the treetops. Skye sighed, a long slow whistle, and stared hungrily at the beautiful view. Green, lush trees everywhere. Long, slender pine needles scattered on the ground. Gorgeous. Skye shivered, and wrapped her scarf more firmly around herself. Jeffrey made a spasmed move, almost to take off his sweatshirt and give it to her, but stopped and jammed his hands in his pockets. Skye glanced at her smeared wrist, covered with topics in blue ink. _How's piano going?_ was scrawled over her radius (one of her forearm bones).

"How's piano going?" She blurted. Jeffrey's eyes lit up.

"Wow, it's going amazing. I decided to spend some time with Shubert, you know…" Skye nodded, and pretended to listen, fiddling with her scarf.

"And, well, I was able to master it… after twenty weeks." Jeffrey made a face. "Anyway, how's the math going?" It was Skye's turn to light up. She babbled on for a good ten minutes about algebra, and Jeffrey listened intently. She really was pretty, he decided, with her blue eyes snapping and crackling. Her red scarf brought out the pink in her cheeks, and she was so excited she was twining the fringe around and around her finger. Skye let out a small shriek as the ball suddenly lost altitude, and dropped in almost a straight downward free fall. The ball stopped at a small trail, where Jeffrey pulled Skye out and led her to the small town.

"Guess what I found out?" He asked her, leading her through the vendors selling kettle corn. "They celebrate an annual Highlands festival here."

"Wow." Skye whistled in appreciation at the crammed street. She noticed a tent with purple canvas and stopped to admire the wares. She didn't particularly like plants, but couldn't help staring at the miniature cacti the man was selling.

"Yup. These are low water, low light cacti. They have little baby cacti here-" He pointed to three small green nubs. "The blue flower in the back is dried. The pebbles in the front are separated by some bark, and behind them is where the cacti are." Skye studied them. "They need only about a teaspoon of water a month. So don't worry about upkeep. Super low maintenance. Skye dug in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled five dollar bill. Jeffrey swooped in and took the money, digging in his own pocket for a wallet, which he extracted five dollars from and shoved Skye's money in her hand Skye filed the blush that rushed to Jeffrey's cheeks when he brushed her palm as _to consider later_, instinctively curling her hand up at the tickling sensation. Skye picked a diamond shaped terrarium and took the arm that Jeffrey held out. Jeffrey pulled her to a kettle corn station, where they bought two giant bags of the sweet popcorn and hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows, and he checked his red watch.

"Snap. It's four thirty already. We didn't see a thing! Sorry we got such a late start. We have to go. But guess what? We get a full day off without practice in a week. In the meantime, we have to be back for dinner. C'mon!" Jeffrey took her arm and led her to the bubble, and helped Skye up. Skye half wanted to snap at him that she was perfectly capable of sitting down, but muzzled instinct. _I don't know why._ She told herself. _Ridiculous. I should tell him that I don't need help. With anything!_ Skye bit her lip and scolded herself. She let Jeffrey help her. She sat down. Taking the cup of warm hot chocolate he handed her, she sipped it and gasped as she burned her tongue. Placing the hot chocolate in a small cup holder, she looked at Jeffrey. By this time they were high in the air, soaring, with the clouds so puffy they seemed tangible.

"Fantastic architecture." She blurted, and regretted it instantly. It just slipped out. She reached down and cautiously sipped her hot chocolate again, wincing as it slid down her throat, leaving a scalding trail behind. She pretended it was cool, though, just to have the illusion of being busy.

"Pardon?" Jeffrey crunched a handful of kettle corn between his teeth.

"The glass ball. It's cool. Didn't think it was possible, but. Yeah." Skye set down the hot chocolate again. It hurt too much to drink, even if it was a handy nonchalant gesture. Jeffrey nodded.

"Yeah. Cool." He took hold of the end of her scarf. "This is the longest scarf I've ever seen!" Skye looked down.

"Shoot. I twisted it around four times. It must have come undone." She reached for Jeffrey's end of the scarf.

"Don't worry. I've got it." Jeffrey said softly. Skye froze. She didn't know why, but she felt almost... scared. He came closer, but carefully, like she was a deer, and sat next to her. He looped it around her neck once. He kept his eyes trained on the scarf. Twice. He was closer. Three times. He was almost touching her knee with his knee. Fourth. Skye exhaled the tiniest bit, but Jeffrey was still holding the ends of the scarf. Both of them. He looked down at them, like he didn't know why he was holding them either. He gently tugged the tiniest bit, and Skye felt like it was impossible to not move forward, but not because he was pulling too hard. He dropped the scarf, almost like it was slow motion, and it fluttered to touch the bench. Skye was motionless as he lifted his hand and his thumb carefully brushed her cheekbone It stayed, resting there, and almost like it was planned he leaned closer, and his lips, slowly, cautiously, touched hers. He seemed to be proceeding carefully, just in case he did something wrong. And Skye sat there, amazed at what was happening, and gingerly, carefully, reached her hands up to cup his face. She responded. And they weren't making out, or anything obscene, They were kissing slowly, gently, and it was almost like they were talking in a beautiful language only understood by them, as disgustingly cliche as it sounded, and his thumb was resting on her cheekbone, and her hands were holding him close, and they were flying in the air in a clear bubble and that perfect, wonderful moment was happening to Skye, and she couldn't believe it, and just as it capped the climax the ball jolted them apart and she realized the ball had finished it's journey. She gasped, and leaned back, and Jeffrey's eyes were staring at her, and making her nerves stand up and tap dance, and instantly she stood and bolted, him calling her name and her promising herself she would tell him how she felt when she sorted her feelings in her room.

And from far away, a hawk sat in a tree, amber eyes studying the scene. The girl running so fast her blue jacket was a blur, the scarlet scarf dangling loosely from her hand, and the boy, sprinting after her, begging her to come back, the hot chocolate spilled on the green pine needles below.


End file.
